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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bore · kick · pass · mark · rest · nail · game · tube

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. rest — what's left
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. rest — a break
  8. kick — in football
  9. tube — a container
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pass — a permit
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. mark — a trace
  22. tube — the underground
  23. game — a match
  24. bore — gave birth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com